You Don't Need to Control Food...

<p dir="ltr">Have you ever heard yourself saying this, or something like it?</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" data-redactor-style-cache= "text-align: center;"><span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache="color: rgb(88, 70, 102);"><strong>"I’m just out-of-control with food."</strong></span>  </p> <p dir="ltr">This is something I hear from my clients all the time.  Whether they describe themselves as emotional eaters, binge eaters, or overeaters, they feel out-of-control with food.</p> <p dir="ltr">And that feels <em>terrible</em>.  No one wants to feel out-of-control about anything.</p> <p dir="ltr">So they do what is so often seen as the "solution" to feeling out-of-control with food.  They diet in some way, shape, or form.   They create some rules around their eating.  Like not keeping certain foods in the house.  Not eating after a certain time.  Weighing and measuring their food.  </p> <p dir="ltr">In other words, they try to <em>control</em> food.  </p> <p dir="ltr">And that seems like a great solution, doesn't it?  If you feel out-of-control with food, then do the opposite and assert control.  Makes sense to me.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" data-redactor-style-cache= "text-align: center;"><span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache="color: rgb(88, 70, 102);"><strong>The only problem is, trying to control food just doesn't work.</strong></span></p> <p dir="ltr">At least not in the long-term.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sure, in the beginning, controlling food and creating rules around our eating patterns feels great.  "Look at me!  I don't need cream in my coffee!"  Or, "I feel so good eating this salad for lunch!  Ok, I'm still hungry, but I brought carrot sticks for a snack so I'll be fine!"  </p> <p dir="ltr">But after awhile, it all starts to slip.  Cracks form in our routine, and we start breaking rules.  Why?  Because we're human, and these rules weren't realistic or sustainable.  </p> <p dir="ltr">Rules were made to be broken, right?  </p> <p dir="ltr">But w